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Current or Past Professors: What was your decision on becoming a Professor? Current or Past Professors: What was your decision on becoming a Professor? Any struggles endured during your education? Did you ever feel like quitting? I might decide to become a Professor after I graduate from College but people I know "warn" me that it will be boring, or difficult. I like intellectual challenges and I feel I can become one if I set my mind to it. I am a smart, nice, funny, capable mature 21 yr old and I feel I can do this if I choose! Was/is it worthwhile to you? Any answers would be greatly appreciated!! ... (Asked by strawberriesforme)
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decision on becoming a Professor?: the bottom line for professors in higher education is mostly that they enjoy their field of study/research above all else and want to learn as much as they can about it and/or make a difference contributing new ideas to it. Beyond this the two extremes are: (1) those who want to do their own research above all else and only put up with teaching responsibilities because it is mandatory, or (2) there are those who prefer to teach and enjoy teaching college level academics and only do enough research to keep their appointment Any struggles endured ...(Answered by M T)

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Do college professors have crushes on their students? I have come across quiet a few questions about how students should act if they have crushes on their professors. Do these kind of situation happen to professors too? If professors have crushes on their students, would they act on it some time or later? One of my aunt actually married her college professor and has a very happy life. This question is just out of curiosity. ... (Asked by musi)
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It's against all schools' policies for a teacher to "fraternize" with a student by dating or having any kind of sexual affair. Not that it doesn't happen - I know a prof whose girlfriend (now his former student) had their baby - not a recommended procedure to get a good grade!!! The accepted and "upright" solution for students and teachers to do if they're interested in each other is to wait until after the student is no longer taking classes from the teacher - or better yet, when the student has graduated. This kind of situation has been more under scrutiny ...(Answered by fudgesource)

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Is appropriate for professors to lecture on off-topic subjects? Do you think it is appropriate for paid college professors to lecture on subjects other than those they are supposed to be teaching? For example, is it appropriate for a psychology professor to lecture on the state of the environment? Or is it appropriate for a biology professor to lecture on capitalism? Do you think there should be some sort of system to discourage and/or punish college professors who go off-topic during class time? ... (Asked by sophie)
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Is it appropriate...no. Unfortunately, in many cases there isn't much you can do about it unless you can prove that the instructor is behaving in a way that is detrimental or dangerous to the students' education. You could turn the prof into the department chair, but before you do that I would finish the class. Then I would consider whether or not you could ever have this prof again. If you do go to the dept. chair, make sure you have your facts straight....(Answered by Rick C)

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what % of professors could have been making a lot more money in the private sector but stay in academia? are most professors in academia because they really care about what they do? how many professors are only in academic because of the money (i.e. the research grants) are there any people who are extremely wealthy to begin with, and decide to spend their life working very hard in academia? how many professors become millionaires during the course of their research? how many professors get offers to go join the private sector and make lots of money, but reject the offers out of principle and stay in academia? ... (Asked by worldpeace)
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There isn't much money in academia. The professors who make the most money are medical doctors in the top medical schools. Football and basketball coaches make more money than professors. Some professors at the top schools supplement their income by serving on the board of directors for Fortune 500 companies, but these professors are few. To answer your question, most professors would make more money in the private sector. I stay in academia because I feel called to educated undergraduate students. I wish I made more money so I wouldn't have to worry about how I will pay my bills. Also, ...(Answered by purelluk)

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Do older male professors hate older female students who attend college? Just had coffee with my Mom. She went back to college in her 50s now-she says the older male professors hate older women students who go back to college. She said one professor told her she would never get a job, even after she finishes her PhD because she is too old to be a professor and departments will view her as not being able to provide “longevity” in a college teaching career. Do older male professors hate older female students who attend college? ... (Asked by John A)
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I think it's very unfair to generalize, here. We cannot say that "all" older male professors resent their older female students, even if there may be a small percentage who do. In a case like that, the only potential reason that comes to mind is that they may feel slightly threatened by a student who has a lot of life experience that she brings to the class - experience that may "outshine" the prof. Also, some male profs may simply be sexist, which is downright wrong. (I doubt this is the norm, though.) But even this explanation doesn't ...(Answered by Human Rights Activist)

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College Professors? Why does it seem like many college professors are more interested in proving they more about the subject then the students do? Also, why do many feel that they need to make a class as hard as possible instead of actually teaching? Such as making tests that are "almost impossible to do well on". <-----I've been told this by professors before. Are they bitter or just bored? I have had many good professors but about 20% of them are just a-holes. I have had ones who are never around to answer questions. I've had ones who's average test scores are ... (Asked by jackdaniels165)
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The professors who give those nasty exams are teaching "weed-out" courses. They are usually introductory or 200-level courses in the course sequence for a major in the hard sciences, and professors are mandated by their departments to "weed-out" students who think they might want to be scientists, or go to medical school. I have no excuses for the professors who are "missing in action," except to observe that they are probably much more involved with their research than their teaching. Let's face it, universities don't hire or promote us for teaching skills, but rather for our research productivity. I wish ...(Answered by Professor X)

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What do college professors do besides teach? Please answer only if you are a professor or know a college professor well outside the realm of regular student professor relationship. What do they do besides teach. They spend about 6-10 hours teaching a week at my school, then 2 or 3 office hours a week. This question is especially for non science professors. History, psychology, political science and sociology professors for example. Do they just read up on their subjects and write articles and books? Do they get to travel? ... (Asked by Interested)
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You are correct in observing that teaching is actually a very small part of our job. Here's what we do: Research. That includes visiting archives, library research, fieldwork, etc., but mostly involves constant writing. We are expected to publish consistently in top journals and to write books in order to keep our jobs. Other publications. We are expected to write book reviews and make other such contributions to our field of study on a regular basis. This includes major work like editing series of books for publishers, as well as minor work like writing articles for encyclopedias. Advise. This ...(Answered by Professor X)

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Do Professors get paid to participate in an "Individual Projects" class? Will a professor who I choose to supervise an "Individual Projects" class that I am taking earn money for teaching/supervising it? Or would he/she get stuck "volunteering." Background info: People in my major who need elective credits can choose to take a class called "Individual Projects" where you earn up to 3 credits towards your degree. All you need to do is ... (Asked by Krystal V. C)
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I can tell you for a fact that tenured and tenure-track professors do NOT get paid to supervise independent studies (which are called "individual projects" at your school). And adjuncts are usually not asked to supervise independent studies, since they DO get paid by the class, and a "class" with one student does not count. Full-time instructors, assistant, associate, and full professors get paid an annual salary. Most departments encourage us to take on independent studies with highly motivated students, but most do not require that we do so. When we take on an independent study, we add ...(Answered by Professor X)

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Professors-Graduate School Exams-Help!!!? I know I'm repeating this question somewhat, but it's because I don't believe my original question will ever be answered at this point (4 days old). This is mostly for professors on this board (I know there are some). I'm a first year math graduate student at UCLA and I have a very frustrating problem. I know the material very well in pretty much all areas, but I don't seem to test very well. It's a very irritating problem because professors seem to only be impressed by exam scores, and so all my work seems to be going to waste because ... (Asked by wlfgngpck)
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Speaking as a professor who teaches math as one of my subjects, I can tell you that I've had a number of students in your position. In class, they demonstrate to me their mastery of the material through discussions and exercises, but yet on exams, they simply "blow it." Unfortunately, it's true that there are some professors out there who's only grading criteria is a midterm and/or final, so you essentially get 1 or 2 chances to do well. NOT the case in my classes. My final grades include a combination of exam scores, in-class exercises, discussions, and ...(Answered by msoexpert)

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How are professors ranked? I see many ranks among professors in Canada. For example, some titles that I've seen are: professor, associate professor, lecturer, associate lecturer, senior lecturer, etc. Can anyone organize these for me? (Highest to lowest) ... (Asked by Mike)
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Roughly from bottom to top: graduate student adjunct / part-time instructor lecturer / instructor assoc. lecturer senior lecturer assistant professor associate professor (has tenure now) professor...(Answered by D)

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Do older male professors hate older female students who attend college? Just had coffee with my Mom. She went back to college in her 50s now-she says the older male professors hate older women students who go back to college. She said one professor told her she would never get a job, even after she finishes her PhD because she is too old to be a professor and departments will view her as not being able to provide “longevity” in a college teaching career. Do older male professors hate older female students who attend college? ... (Asked by John A)
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A.
I think it's very unfair to generalize, here. We cannot say that "all" older male professors resent their older female students, even if there may be a small percentage who do. In a case like that, the only potential reason that comes to mind is that they may feel slightly threatened by a student who has a lot of life experience that she brings to the class - experience that may "outshine" the prof. Also, some male profs may simply be sexist, which is downright wrong. (I doubt this is the norm, though.) But even this explanation doesn't ...(Answered by Human Rights Activist)

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